HiyaCar, a London-based peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing start-up, is now the first UK company to incorporate keyless car entry into its service.

The company's keyless QuickStart technology can be used alongside its app to help users access HiyaCar services, from selecting a car to collecting and inspecting it, to unlocking the car via an encrypted unlock signal.

This journey takes minutes with the new technology, and can be done entirely via smartphone, compared to a time-frame of several days using traditional services.

As QuickStart removes the need to exchange keys, it allows users swap cars more quickly and conveniently and therefore offers greater opportunities to make a profit.

Security is also paramount with keyless technology. To safeguard its users, HiyaCar has built failsafes into the technology allowing them to remotely disable the car engine and lock its doors should it be stolen. A stolen smartphone can also be immediately disabled.

With the technology fully encrypted and generating a new unlocking sequence every time it is used, replicating the unlock signal – also known as ‘cloning’ – is also not possible.

“2017 is a big year for us, as we aim to expand across London and the UK. Our on demand QuickStart proposition will make it easier than ever to hire a car, even for short journey,” said HiyaCar COO and co-founder Rob Larmour.

“Ultimately, we want people to think twice about buying a new car and whether they really need it all the time, when they could just as easily borrow their neighbour’s vehicle.”

HiyaCar aims to roll out the new technology to 3,000 cars by the end of 2017 and is a big part of the company’s push to expand UK-wide in the year ahead as it continues with the goal of changing the perception of car ownership in a digital age.